What are the main threats to sharks?
Humans are the only threat to sharks, and the human activity with by far the greatest impact is fishing, both targeted and non-targeted. 100 million sharks are killed annually by fishers and such pressure on such highly vulnerable species is unsustainable. Of course, pollution of the world’s oceans is also likely to have a negative effect on sharks as it has on all marine species, and climate change is also likely to affect those sharks that remain. Shark nets used in beach meshing programs also target and kill endangered sharks and may deplete numbers locally.
